Brake hanger bracket and retainer means



April 7, 1942. M. s. JOHNSON BRAKE HANGER BRACKET AND RETAINER MEANS Filed Aug. 16, 1939 Inn/en or. l v I, 21:11:04... &

aim;

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 BRAKE GER BRACKET AND-'R-ETAI'NERJ MEANS- Malcolm S, Johnson, Chicago, Ill, assignor. to Illinois Railway Equipment. Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application. August 16, 1939;, Serial. No; 29035.11

2 Claims.

My: invention relates: to the brackets whereby the brakehangers of railroad cars: are pendently supported and to means whereby the hangers are removably securedin the brackets which are gen.- erally formedintegral with the truckside frames.

More. specifically stated, the invention involves a. bracketopen at the forward side and: the two ends in conjunction with a retainer element adapted to. be inserted in the bracket, after the brake hanger has been: placed in: the bracket, and to efiect interlocking engagement with surfaces forming an integral part: of the inner walls of the bracket; the hanger holding portion of the bracket preferably being provided with a wear resisting surface.

My invention has for its object: the provision of a construction which will eliminate the; use of the usual bolts. or pins. heretofore employed for fastening.the:hanger'holdingv elements as well as the hanger in place.

The invention also has. for its object the provision of a structure which involves a hanger retainer which may be easily inserted in the socket of; the bracket, which automatically effects looking engagement with the bracket and which may be more readily removed when occasion requires than is the case with the usual bolt and nut method heretofore employed due to the bolts and nuts becoming rusted; which in many instances necessitated burning off the bolts.

The aforementioned objects and advantages, as well as other advantages. inherent in the invention, will all. be readily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective vie-w of the outer or socketed end of my improved railroad brake hanger bracket.

Figure Zis a perspective view of the retainer element employed with my: improved bracket.

Figure 3; is a perspective view of a. hanger receiving wear element which may be employed with the: bracket.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the outer. end 015 the. bracket (the. inner end being broken away) showing a, modification, provided with the wear element and the. retainer element inserted therein, with the upper end of a hanger shown in dotted lines.

In the particular exemplification of the invention in Figure 1, a bracket l0 having vertically spaced jaws II and I2 is shown open at the forward side and at the ends to receive the usual are. pend'entltz supported in place; the bracketbeinggenerally liormed; integral with the. side frame throngihi theamediunr. oflthe-integrai arm of which: a: portiomis. shown. at I-3;

I'mstructures", as; heretofore generally employed, the brake" hangers were held in; the: open sided bracket by pins or bolts passing vertically through holes termed in the outer ends: of the jaws.- l I and. i=2; the belts in turn. havingtnuts screwed onto their lowerthreadeidz ends; Aside from the fact that; the: hangers were permitted: toexcessively vibrate-causingchatter and undue wearthis: method of? fastening. the) hangers in place was also found objectionable because ofitthe diffficu lty encountered, when. removal, or' replace:- ment of the hangers became; necessary, due: to the fact that; the" nuts' on the lower threadedends of theholts: became nustedzandmequil'red the: bolts to. be burned ofi when. a worn hanger was: to be replaced. Then too, considerable annoyance and difficulty was: encountered. by the ITLItSi unscrewing from the bclts asa. result; or: the undesirable excessive vibration, which in: turn. permitted. the bolts to gradually move. upwardly out; or their holes and producing, the: hazard: oil a: dropping brake beam and brake-head: resulting from the hanger creeping or joiting out off the bracket.

invention. contemplates the provision. of. a hanger receiving bracket; whose jaws. H and: 12

are united atitheir inner ends. by an arcuate: wall 14; to constitute: a. portion; of a hangerreceiving channel; the upper end of axlink hanger: being shown in dotted lines: at. [5? in Figure 4". This channel forming portion of the: bracket is: shown provided. with. a. thickened. wallwhich: terminates at the-.fiorward' side ofthecha-nnel to produce shouldersv l6 extending transversely of the brackbrake hanger or link whereby the ends of. the

brakebeam and attachedbrake-heads and. shoes 1 et. and. formabutmentsufor a. retainer element H shown; in. detail in Figure 2; Th'eaforward; outer ends. of the jaws. H; and I'Zrare. provided with. integral' lugs: I18; ofisimilarconfiguration. andiprovided with inturnedzends l'9 substantially atright angles. tothe main. portions; to provide. the abutments or shoulders 20. Both. jaws H and II; in.- termediateof. the; shoulders: I62 and the. lugs. l8, are; alsoaprovide-d with lugs 2%l disposed transversely; of. the bracket and. suitably spaced from the shoulders. t6; and: the lugs t8; for the. pIu-rpose hereinafter mentioned.

The. retainer element H is preferably made of spring steel bent. into: loop. form or somewhat. U- shape and with the free: end' of: theleg; or side 22 bent toward. the. other; leg" or side; 23f to provide the lobe 24* which is proyide'd with atool receiving, opening 25; while'theend of leg: or side: 23 is shown provided with a cut-out or notch 26 intermediate of its top and bottom edges for a purpose hereinafter described.

The jaw II and I2 of the bracket, shown in Figure 1, as previously stated, at a predetermined distance forward of the arcuate side Walls I4 are reduced in thickness to provide the abutments or shoulders I6; the shoulders I6 being a sufficient distance forward of the arcuate side walls I4 to receive the brake hanger on the thickened wall portion of the jaws; and the shoulders I5 are a sufiicient distance rearward of the lug 2| to permit the side or leg 22 of the retainer element IT to be forced endwisely therebetween,

ting the retainer element to be more easily flexed.

With the lugs I8 and 2| of similar construction at their ends it is apparent that the retainer element Il may be inserted from either side or end of the bracket III.

After the brake hanger has been placed between the jaws of the bracket adjacent the arcuate walls I4, the arcuate or closed end 21 of the retainer element I1 is then endwisely inserted through one end of the bracket with the leg or side 22 of the retainer element disposed between the shoulders I6 and lugs 2| and substantially in abutting relation therewith to prevent forward flexing or movement of leg 22; while the other leg or side 23 of the retainer element enters between lugs 2| and I8; the free end of wall 23 of the retainer flexing toward side or leg 22 until it has passed the inturned ends I9 of lugs I8 at the end of the bracket through which the retainer element is being inserted. The retainer element I1 is driven lengthwise of the bracket until the bent end 24 contacts the adjacent ends I9 of the lugs I8 and as the normal spread between the free ends of the retainer element is greater than the distance between the lugs 2| and the inturned ends I9 of lugs I8, the side or leg 23 will spring back to normal condition, after its free end has cleared the inturned ends I9 at the end of the bracket through which the retainer is inserted and cause the end of leg 23 to automatically effect locking engagement with the abutments or shoulders 29 of lug I8.

With the end of leg or side 23 of the retainer r element in abutting relation with the shoulders of the lugs I8 of the bracket and the bent end 24 of the retainer element lapping the outer sides of the bent ends I9 of lugs I8, it is apparent that endwise movement of the retainer element in either direction is impossible and that all hanger thrusts encountered by the side or leg 22 of the or notch 26 in the other leg or side 23 of the retainer element and then tilting the bar or tool and using the outer side wall of opening 25 as a fulcrum until the free end of leg or side 23 of the retainer element is fiexed'inwardly sufficiently to clear the adjacent ends I9 of the lugs I8 on both jaws II and I2 of the bracket. With the ends of the retainer element flexed toward each other as mentioned the retainer element may then be driven or forced out of the bracket by hammer-blows on the arcuate closed end 21 of the retainer element.

As the brackets II] are of cast metal, being cast integral with the truck side frames and are subject to Wear as a result of the vibratory or swinging movements of the hanger, I have shown the bracket III in Figure l with a somewhat thicker wall at the inner ends of the jaws II, i2, namely adjacent the arcuate wall I4.

In Figure 4 I illustrate a modification in so far as the hanger receiving portion of the bracket 28 is concerned,- namely by providing a hardened wear receiving surface in the nature of a substantially semi-cylindrical member 29, shown in detail in Figure 3. The member 29 is of length sufficient to permit it to extend from end to end of the bracket, with its closed arcuate side resting against the arcuate end walls SI] of the bracket and the ends of the member 29 preferably welded to the bracket as shown at El to prevent shifting of the member. With the welding at the exposed ends of the member it is possible to replace and renew the member if occasion should require. Of course, the member 29 could be cast into and made a part of the bracket but it would then not be replaceable. Where member 29 is employed the forward longitudinal edges 32 provide abutments adapted to engage the leg or side 22 of the retainer element or key I! and the bracket need notbe provided with the shoulders I5. After the member 29 has been put into place as described and the hanger I5 inserted therein, the retainer key or element II is then endwisely driven through one end of the bracket in the manner heretofore described; the retainer key or element II constituting one side or wall of the hanger socket and any pressure or force exerted thereon by the hanger will tend to increase or maintain the interlocking engagement between the retainer key or element and the lugs of the bracket.

My invention provides a structure wherein the brake hanger or link is held in the socket of the bracket by a retainer key or element which automatically effects locking engagement with the bracket whereby movement of the retainer endwisely or transversely of the bracket is impossible and hence its accidental displacement, as a result of the pressure or force exerted thereon by the hanger, is impossible.

The exemplifications, which are believed to be the simplest embodiments of the invention, have been described in terms employed for purposes of description and not as terms of limitation, as structural modifications may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A brake hanger bracket and retainer means comprising a bracket provided with vertically spaced apart jaws; a removable hanger receiving channel member disposed transversely of the bracket at the inner ends of said jaws and adapted to provide shoulders in the bracket forward of the channel, the jaws forward of the shoulders being provided with laterally spaced off-set surfaces; and a U-shaped retainer element adapted to be edgewisely inserted in the bracket between said shoulders and the adjacent off-set surfaces and between the spaced apart off-set surfaces and normally effecting interengaging relation with certain of said off-set surfaces.

2. A brake hanger bracket and retainer means comprising a bracket formed with vertically spaced jaws open toward the forward side of the bracket and at opposite ends, the opposing faces of the jaws adjacent their forward ends being provided with opposing lugs; a wear member inserted in the bracket at the inner ends of the jaws and extending transversely of the bracket 10 

